Premier Sponsor

Ministry of Education Tertiary (e)Learning

Ministry of Education’s role in tertiary sector e-learning

Further information at www.minedu.govt.nz  | Keywords: tertiary e-learning

The Ministry of Education is pleased to sponsor e-Fest 2008. With educational technology maturing, e-learning is increasingly recognised as becoming a more integral feature of tertiary education, contributing to a networked, flexible education system. A number of people in tertiary education have identified a need for better knowledge on e-learning to inform their activities. Work in the Ministry of Education is therefore focused on helping to manage and build knowledge, based on evidence, to assist people within education organisations and in government develop their ability to approach e-learning in a high-quality, sustainable way. This will help to realise the following vision:

e-learning contributes to a networked, flexible tertiary education system offering accessible, relevant, high-quality learning opportunities to all New Zealanders

The Ministry’s approach to doing this has four stages – evaluation and monitoring, identifying knowledge needs, developing an evidence base, and  sharing knowledge.

Key areas of knowledge need

People in tertiary education organisations have identified that the main knowledge needs are in the areas of strategic management, and teaching and learning practice.

The major outcomes and some current, key projects to help address these needs are given below.

Resources ready to use

e-Learning Maturity Model | Victoria University of Wellington

Relevant for managers in tertiary education organisations with interest in the business of the organisation, and/or with an interest in the quality and sustainability of teaching and learning, and related services
Provides means to evaluate, monitor and direct the development of organisational e-learning capability in line with evidence-based good practice at a whole-of-organisation level.

e-Learning Guidelines | Massey University

Most relevant to tertiary teaching and support staff.
Provides evidence-based effective practice guidelines and case studies to inform teaching and learning practice, and its management.

Research

Research into the current context and future impact of e-learning for the benefit of New Zealand students and tertiary education organisations in New Zealand lies at the heart of the Ministry’s knowledge management around e-learning in tertiary education.  A number of reports based on research into e-learning in New Zealand have been produced to date, most by the Ministry of Education, but some by other organisations.

Some recent research includes:

Research-Based Professional Development Framework | Massey University and University of Otago

Current eLearning Activities in ITOs | WinTec and ESITO

Under development

e-Learning Management Guidelines for NZ Tertiary Education Organisations | Ako aotearoa

This project is intended to develop a set of resources and tools that will assist institutional leaders to plan and manage their use of e-learning more strategically. Much of the published research and analysis of policy and practice in this field has been authored by and targeted at teachers and IT specialists rather than those responsible for institutional strategy and leadership.  To begin to address this important audience, it is first necessary to identify the issues that they need to understand and to take direct responsibility for.  This resource is an attempt to identify these issues and express them as questions that leaders should be asking of their institutional strategy, policy and practice. Case studies illustrating a number of these strategic options are drawn from across the New Zealand tertiary education sector.

e-Learning Knowledge Resources for Educators, Students and Officials | Blended Solutions

The Ministry has funded over a dozen research reports to better understand specific issues relevant to e-learning in the New Zealand tertiary sector. Over the same period, the Tertiary Education Commission has funded projects through the e-Learning Collaborative Development Fund, which have produced reports on other relevant issues. While these reports contain much of relevance to the sector (the reports are a response to stakeholder-identified knowledge needs), few people in the sector are accessing or reading, let alone applying, the knowledge in these reports.

Contact:
Danny Wolters
Ministry of Education e-Learning Team
Phone: 64 (0)4 463 8520
Email:  danny.wolters@minedu.govt.nz